Finance Minister Tarun Bhanot has urged the Central Government to provide one-time central assistance for protection of cows and gaushalas. He also urged the Government of India to incorporate additional cess or revenue collection from surcharges in the devolution of states.

Bhanot was talking in behalf of the state at a meeting of Finance Ministers of the states organized in New Delhi under the chairmanship of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The meeting was organized by the Union Finance Minister at Vigyan Bhawan prior to finalizing the Central Budget for the financial year 2019-20. Bhanot informed the Union Finance Minister that the state government has been successful in maintaining the status of revenue balance through better financial management. He also spoke about providing additional central assistance along with increase in devolution and exemption of fund in the Central schemes for the state’s development and for strengthening its financial status.

Bhanot said that there has been an increase in the devolution of central funds. But with the ratio being 60:40 in some centrally sponsored schemes, no exemption in central funds in the last two years in certain schemes and withdrawal of establishment expenses in some is posing difficulty in their implementation. He urged that the loan amount should be made available in a lump sum.

In the pre-budget meeting, Bhanot said that the state government has been planning and organizing various programmes from the state budget for the protection of cows and gaushalas which is directly benefitting cattle-rearers and farmers. Bhanot also requested to provide one- time central assistance to the state for the scheme.